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County social services warns USDA food-bank cuts could raise local food insecurity
Summary
Lake County Social Services Director Rachel Dillman Parsons briefed the Board of Supervisors on missing USDA food shipments reported by Redwood Empire Food Bank and a national cancellation of some Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program allocations, urging residents to contact federal legislators about restoring funding.
Rachel Dillman Parsons, Lake County Social Services director, briefed the Board of Supervisors during public input on April 1 about recent USDA program changes that could affect local food-bank supplies.
Parsons said the county coordinates with local food providers—Gleaners (Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program, TFAP manager for the county) and Redwood Empire Food Bank (CSFP manager for seniors)—but does not operate the banks. On March 21 she said she had checked with the food banks: Gleaners reported no immediate disruption; Redwood Empire Food Bank reported seven missing USDA truckloads they had expected, with an estimated value between $670,000 and $750,000. Parsons noted that on March 28 the USDA announced a cancellation of $500,000,000 in TFAP food nationally.
She told the board TFAP represented roughly 20% of the Redwood Empire Food Bank’s groceries and that the loss of USDA commodities would increase food insecurity amid rising grocery prices. Parsons said about 16,000 Lake County residents (roughly 25% of the county) receive CalFresh and some households fall into a gap where they earn too much for CalFresh but still rely on food banks. Parsons said Social Services can advocate but cannot restore federal allocations and urged residents to contact federal legislators. Tammy Alexay of the American Red Cross spoke in support of the local food-bank partners and their work.
